A 40-foot full-load container claiming to be carrying plastic toy cars and plastic balls was found to contain over 24 tons of pyrotechnics. 

The container, which originated from China, was unloaded at Malta Freeport, in transit to Libya and was one of several containers scanned by Malta Customs on Thursday.

The scan image revealed several inconsistencies, so a decision was taken to physically inspect the container. During this inspection, customs officers found a stack of branded sport shoes covering a huge concealed consignment of over 900 cartons of pyrotechnics, exceeding 24,000 kilogrammes in weight.

The container was withheld by the Customs Department for further investigations.

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